Michaels Toast of the Town Necklace hop

And a Finally Friday necklace, make that two - or really four since they’re both reversible.  Since the Toast of the Town necklace can also be worn a bazillion ways I’ve totally lost count.  Lets go straight to the pictures.



Now I did my level best to follow the directions so thoughtfully written by Erin Prais-Hintz, but I did adapt on the fly a bit.  I talked about my shopping trip and how my palette changed, but I ultimately steered back to more blues.  I started with the pale green shell beads and the few oval pyrite.  Then I grabbed the teal ring and the Crystazzi glass pearls I had already (both also from Michaels).  Next up I made two styles of polymer beads and the toggle bar (the bar is actually a bead gallery pendant hanger I transformed).  Once I had all that I was still needing something in the 4mm range to spread all over.  I was craving a little more texture, so in went the blue apatite chip beads and I love them here, I should have used more.


I can’t wait to see all the variety born of this design, this is a blog hop after all.  Please be sure to visit Erin’s blog to check out her next incarnation of this design and link on to all the other participants.  Many thanks to Erin for the design, and inspirational push to try it out myself.

…But before you run off, I did promise you two other necklaces.  The focal pendants for these I created a few years ago and once I saw the Design Seeds palette I thought of them right away.



The beads featured along with the pendants are all created from the same polymer canes, I think this particular cane design I learnt from a Donna Kato book.  These longer squiggle beads and large hole beads are both available in my etsy shop.



Here is the second design.  I’m pretty sure that the clasp below is a Vintaj one I think I will need more of, since I really like how this design came together – if I do say so myself!

Many thanks to Shannon also.  Her regular choosing of palettes helps me not get lost in the sea of gorgeousness that is Design Seeds.

The Michael’s trap

It began innocently enough.  I saw Erin Prais-Hintz’s post offering up a challenge involving her stunning “Toast of the Town Necklace” she had created for Michael’s.  I’m borrowing her picture to show you – isn’t it beautiful!



Her latest challenge shows three different colourways, each up for grabs, and my first thought was “hey I have those blue ceramic coins!” See I just had to join in.  You can join in too, if you comment on the post – her post – today.

Then I saw Shannon Chomanczuk’s Finally Friday post featuring a primarily blue palette for reveal also on November 2nd.  It sure felt like a blue version would be the way to go.  This is “crashing blues” from Design Seeds



I set about collecting blues and decided that a quick trip to Michael’s was in order.  It was 50% off beads this week…



Bear with me on the iphone pics, I just had to share tonight. On the left are some polymer coins I made a few months ago and a couple of glass rings (from Michael’s too) that I’ve had for years and a die formed two-tone polymer shell starting point that I had in mind as a toggle bar. On the right are some of the blues I had on hand, destined to be part of the bracelets I have planned for 7000 bracelets.

So off to Michael’s I went, coupon in my pocket, and polymer coins in hand to pick out some more bits. Here’s what I came home with



Hmm, sorry if there was some natural light you would see that is a whole mass of green beads, not blue at all.  You know what’s better than 50% off beads?  Still great 80% clearance beads, it’s not like they go bad! Now dear American friends, you get a much better price on beads than we do, it depresses me to see the difference. But still, a good deal all the same. On the left we have the mass of pale green shell beads (they say “Aqua” but they lie) and one stand of Pyrite ovals.  In the center I’m auditioning some other glass rings I had.  Lastly, on the right I couldn’t say no to the jade and ceramic rondelles.

This is the point were I decide it’s time to hurry up and leave so I don’t spend more. Which I do.  While making stops at the thrift store and Homesense for show display type items I realize I left Michael’s without what I meant to buy with my coupon!  This is the trap. They always keep me coming back.

That’s my story. Oh wait, no that’s not it, I almost forgot.  When I got home and walked over to the mailbox to pick up the mail I had left Friday since it was raining,  I found this



I tried not to get my heart set on it since I was pretty sure my sweet hubby was not going to be keen on picking this up for me. (I would totally help but someone has to stay with Averleigh).  I showed him the picture, he claims there was a “guilt trip” and it’s now in my garage.  Thanks babe.  I’m also not allowed to ask him to carry anything heavy in such a scenario for the rest of the year.  Fair deal I say.

Finally Friday–count me back in!

It’s been a while since I joined in with Shannon’s Finally Friday challenge.  All the palettes from Design Seeds seem to be so inspiring – so as I’ve said before, I love that Shannon picks ONE to work from otherwise I’d be lost on that site for hours and hours!  Self-confessed blue girl that I am, there was no way I’d let this week’s selection get away

Here it is: door tones


I would love to walk through that door, but I’ll have to settle for it just entertaining my muse.  I had already created this “shutter” focal for a previous challenge and other coordinating beads.  They had sat in the same dish for these last months waiting to become something.  I thought of them as soon as I saw this palette.

Here is my interpretation



When I made those little cylinder beads with two holes I wasn’t quite sure how I would use them.  I work like this all the time creating different shapes and hole positions with no clue if it could be wearable.  Most of these experiments are just a product of squishing polymer and saying what if? I think this time though this works for me.  I don’t know what on earth to call them, they feel a little like ladder rungs in this necklace.  Rounding out the handmade by me polymer in this piece are the small rondelles then I’ve added Chalcedony, ebony wood, and a whole bunch of seeds.  It ended up quite long, but light as a feather. 



Please pardon the lint and gas meter – it was starting to rain so I was taking cover and hurrying.  I just thought it looked a lot better on.  Someday I’ll get the swing of taking nice pictures of necklaces, sigh.

The sweetest friday

Wow! Where did the week go? It was a busy one, but it ends today and brings on three weeks of vacation form my day job – hells ya!  We won’t be doing any globetrotting unfortunately, but it will be nice to have a break and soak up more of this great summer we are having.

I’m happy that I ended up with the second reveal for the upcoming Bead Soup Blog Hop, this means I have lots of time to play before showing off next Saturday.  On Monday I took hubby and Averleigh bead shopping with me to pick up a few beads in person.  Lois sent wonderful options but I just couldn’t help wanting to go look for what more I could bring to the table.  She does such beautiful work (check out her latest – gorgeous!) with the itty bittys I just couldn’t get it out of my head, I’ll have to figure out a way to bring them in to the mix.



I missed Finally Friday over at Shannon’s blog – again. But just look more gorgeous blues for next week, courtesy of Design Seeds



Come on back tomorrow for reveal day for the Thrift Store Blog Hop!

Finally Friday, birthday edition

I’m still trying to follow along on Shannon’s Finally Friday series, it is good fun.  This week’s palette, from www.design-seeds.com was the perfect inspiration to make something for my best friend.  We are celebrating her birthday tomorrow, at her family’s cottage.  This has been the tradition for many years and we’ve been friends 25 years now.  So tonight’s mission is to collect this mass of beads and such into some jewels for a special lady.



I haven’t taken the time to figure out why my printer is insisting on printing on the photo paper rather than the regular paper when I print from my phone. But it’s pretty cool technology so I should stop complaining.  I’ve left some wires in so you can see the holes.  Starting at the top, I’ve got some glass from Blue Seraphim that I’ve had an awful long time.  Moving clockwise I’ve got a bunch of that taupey types that I started from a mould I made, but changed along the way. The centers have a tinted liquid clay – think tide pool.  Then the pendant, it’s chunky, but I think it works.  I’m thrilled with the headpins, since the colours came out so nice.  It’s a sand base and I was generous with the fingerprints since I thought that would imitate the ripple of the sand.  Dipped unevenly in the lighter shade teal and then once dry dipped again unevenly in the darker shade. Just like lapping waves.  I made a few more pendant options, smaller, again thinking of tide pools.  Lastly,, I made a whole bunch of these small ones with a pattern like the shadows the trees cast.

Closer looks







Here’s some of the pile for creating



Before I go I have to share some better pictures of last weeks inspiration pieces.  I’m pleased with the two varieties I came up with.  I’m hoping to find the time next week to get them all photographed and listed in the shop.



And look how different if I squish them the opposite direction



Have a great weekend!

I sent my personal shopper to bead & button

ok, ok, not really!

The truth is even better! I was the lucky winner of Erin Prais-Hintz's giveaway of her specially curated bead &button stash.  Perfect for those of us who couldn't attend in person, what a wonderful consolation.  I can't wait to see what I can come up with from all this loveliness.

It's a wonderful appetiser to the bead soup that is just around the corner (ok, that was bad wasn't it - I can't help myself)

I love that it's still light out, how I wish everyday was this long as it's always kinda shocking to think they get shorter from here on out when summer is just beginning.

I should be turning my attention to the Friday that is almost here and celebrating another Finally Friday. I mean, just look at those wonderful colours, it's a great jumping off point. I could easily spend this longest day of the year there instead, perhaps only in my imagination. Won't you join in too?

Mental Vacation from design-seeds.com

And while I'm bugging you to join in the fun have you checked out all the luscious colours at Marsha Neal Studio Silk Colour Palette Challenge it's time to pick your favs!

It’s Finally Friday–already!

Seems like Friday was just here.  But I was determined to get something going to show you today, the real deal Friday, for Shannon’s Finally Friday.  I sat down a few hours ago, once little miss was sleeping, and got to mixing up some greens.  Maybe it was a bit of an easy out but I opted to make a somewhat abstract version of an artichoke polymer cane.  Today you get to see some raw clay since I didn’t get all that far in making beads, but they are at least started.

Part of the reason I was so determined to get the wheels turning on this was that I was thinking: “what do I really want to have on my blog?”  In turn, that process had me thinking about what I love about so many of my favourite blogs.  I think the regular features (or not even regular, but recurring) are often amongst my favourites.  There are way too many to list but just looking at what popped into my reader today…

• Finally Friday – which is new to me but I really enjoy the concept
• There’s Kitty Photo Friday that always makes me smile, they all look like sweeties!
• Heather always shares her Friday Faves (actually, side note -  I think I love these since I first met Heather when I was 5 and we went all the way through school together. I haven’t seen her in years but her blog sounds just like her – like grown up five year old her, if that makes any sense) – But you’ll love her faves cuz their awesome|!

So I think I’ll be trying to come up with something I’d like to do regularly on my little slice of the interwebs – not on a Friday though. Hmmm

Finally Friday, sorta

I work this odd work week of Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at the day job so most of the time my Wednesday does feel a bit like a Friday.  Basically, I never know what day of the week it is!
I finished up some pendants that were in progress, but then took a left turn last week when I saw Shannon’s pick for her Finally Friday series – beaded bright from design seeds.  I thought I had missed a chance to join in the fun but Shannon kindly let me know that I could share up until Friday. Yay!



These pendants also happen to be the first beads I’ve completed using my The Cutting Edge tools from Dan Cormier and Tracy Holmes.  They feature a crackle tone-on-tone surface, done with ink, that is surprisingly smooth.



This shot shows the crackle best.  I love how the size varied so much, but I wish I had a bit more contrast between the ink bronze and the clay bronze shade. I don’t know, maybe the subtlety will
grow on me.



All four together.  I found I had in my stash the perfect shade of recycled sari silk for a couple to hang from.  Of course I dug through the whole bag and had only one strand, isn’t that always the way? So since it was so wide I ripped it down the middle.  I’m not sure I’ll find anything else in my stash to go from there so maybe they’ll just hang around the studio waiting for more.  We’ll see.



So Friday, the real Friday, is coming back around really quickly, not sure I’ll think of something for all those greens…maybe just that big ‘ole mess.

Almost Finally Friday

I had so much fun poking around everyone's blogs with the hop last week. I noticed a weekly feature on Shannon's blog called Finally Friday. I was excited and thought I might join in this week.

http://formysweetdaughter.blogspot.ca/2012/06/finally-friday.html?showComment=1339188675327&m=1

Pardon the ugly link but I'm phone blogging since a big storm last night has knocked out my Internet. I had taken a sneak peek to share, the palette is from www.design-seeds.com

So my plan was to use the colours and patterns to complete these pieces.but I got a bit derailed by the weather. Oh well there's always next week!